San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-01-25
LOVE FOR A DAY.
Y THE AUTHOR OF DORA THoRNE,"
"A DEAD HEART" 1.-TWO KISSES"
1.-THE FATAL LILIES" ETC.

no one knew. Tnere was some little
rumor of it in India; but she was so
young and so beautiful that no one be-
iieyed it. 1t was not until she became
Lady Severne that it attracted any at
tention. She said afterwards that she
took no more than other ladies-two or
three glasses of wine at luncheOn-per-
haps little champagne if she felt tired
or ''low:" little more wine at dinner;
and, during the evening, champagne at
one party. sherry at another, and always
brandy at night. She liked it; she was
careless, and never thought about the
consequences. More than once Lord
Severne, seeing her glass filed and re-
filed, would say, BE careful, Lurline;
that wine is strong" She would an
swer, laughingly, II do not mind how
strong it is if it sparkles." More than
once he was distressed at finding bot
ties of brandy hidden away in her room.
A bad habit grows quickly. The terri
BILE day came when Lord Severne. re-
found her All, well, cannot write
the world From that time all SEM
blance of happiness ceased between
them. They had been married only six
weeks when he made the discovery.
He decided at once what to do. They
could never live at Severne Court; the
grand inheritance that had come to him
was useless. He dared not make her
mistress of the household; she was too
far gone in her downward course for
that. He could never make his home
in England, where his misfortune
must be known at once. He could never
know when or how the shame and dis
grace might fall upon him. He took
her to Italy, hoping by travel, novelty,
and constant care to wean her from her
weakness.
At first there was some slight i'm
provement, and it was while that i'm
provement lasted that they met Lord
and Lady Yorke. But Lady Severne
was not cured, and there were irregu-
larities in her manner which made
them think strangely of her, and pre-
vented her from being favorite with
them. They liked Lord Severne eX-
ceedingly; they were attracted by his
melancholy, which at first they did not
understand. Lady YOrke exacted from
Lord Severne promise that when they
came to England they would visit
Westwood, and, when business matters
compelled Mark to return, he kept that
promise; but it was in fear and trem-
bling. Lurline had assured her huS-
band, as she had often done before,
that she would keep strict guard over
herself; but again and again she had re-
lapsed into her old habits. For during
those long months, when she had plen-
ty of money at her command, Lady Sc
verne had gone from bad to worse. Her
husband was at last compelled to have
the assistance of Martha Clyde; but, in
spite of all the care lavished upon her,
in spite of all precautions, when these
terrible fits came upon Lady Severne,
she always managed to get that for
which her heart craved. Nothing was
of any avail-prayers, tears, advice,
anger, all were useless. The beautiful
and admired Lady Severne was a secret
drinker, a woman who had delivered
herself to the bondage of an evil spirit,
to the heavy yoke of shameful habit.
She bribed servants; she did things
that in her better days she would have
recoiled from doing. Yet so faithful
was Martha Clyde, so loyal and thought
full was her husband, that her terrible
secret was hardly known. When Mar
tina saw that a fit was inevitable, she
locked her in her room and gave out to
the world that she was ill. At those
times Lord Severne went almost mad
with modification and annoyance
There had been some UerrlDle scenes
once or twice, when Martha was off her
guard and Lady Severne made her es-
cape.
Lady Yorke, who had suspected in
Italy what was wrong, now saw it plain
ly, and for the sake of the household
Lord Severne had been compelled to
tell her. She was distressed and grieved,
but nothing could be done. Until La
dy Severne came to her senses again she
could not be removed. The only thing
was to maintain the fiction of illness,
and keep her secluded in her room. 1t
was now three days since Martha
Clyde, going one evening to put away
her lady's jewels, found her insensible,
and knew what had happened.
1--WE shall have week of it." she
said to me; Il know that"
Surely not, if we keep everything
from her."
THAT we cannot do. l have been
sharp and diligent as a detective; so
has my lord. You may battle the cum
ming of a rogue or a thief, but never
the cunning of a drunkard. His lord
ship was very unwilling to come here"
Martha continued, but Lady Severne
promised faithfully to give no trouble
in this wav. She IS fond Of LADY Yorka